Monday Night Items

Senate Republicans again prove that political opportunism, hypocrisy, and empty political posturing are their strongest suits as they "simultaneously fear-monger about the lapse of the Protect America Act while at the same time rejecting Democratic efforts to extend it for thirty days." Time after time, Senate Republicans demonstrate that they care far more about attempting to dishonestly score political points than they care about protecting the United States.

Georgia: A new Zogby Interactive poll has some very interesting results. Only 38% of respondents said that Spineless Saxby Chambliss deserves another term, while a whopping 49% say that they think it's time for someone new. Also, a blind bio match-up between Chambliss and Democratic candidate Josh Lanier found Lanier's bio beating Chambliss' bio 47-45. Especially notable was that Lanier's bio beat Chambliss' bio among independents by an overwhelming 57-32 margin. I'm not saying that Georgia's all of a sudden a top-tier race, but these results are interesting. (HT: TT)

Idaho: Holy cow! The 2008 Republican Senate primary has ballooned to nine candidates. Joining GOP Lt. Gov. Jim Risch, Rancher Rex Rammell, Iraq veteran Scott Syme, Former Caldwell City Councilman Kent Marmon, and Businessman Richard Phenneger are former Boise Mayoral candidate Harley Brown, Machinist Brian Hefner, Attorney Fred Adams, and Neal Thompson.

Iowa: Remember how Mike Huckabee surprised everybody by winning the Iowa caucuses, largely propelled by religious conservatives, demonstrating the population's potent political muscle? And, separately, remember how 74-year-old Republican Senator Chuck Grassley suggested that he intends to run for another term in 2010? Well, I wonder if any enthusiasm for Grassley to run again, particularly among Iowa's religious conservative population, will wane significantly in light of his efforts to investigate the possible mis-use of funds by Pentecostal ministries. Will religious conservatives hold Grassley's investigative efforts against him?

Did anybody else notice Dick Cheney nodding off during the State of the Union (around 9:25-9:30ish Eastern time)?